Rio Ferdinand reveals plans to marry Kate

Rio Ferdinand has never hidden the fact he’s completely besotted with his The Only Way Is Essex girlfriend Kate Wright, OK! Magazine reports.

The former England and Manchester United ace, 39, has often declared just how much he loves the 26 year old in loved-up social media snaps, following the couple finally confirming their romance last year.

He’s even gone as far as to say the duo have spoken about getting married, but confirmed he’s not set a date for the engagement.

“We do talk about it,” he told the Daily Star. “But I’m not going to sit here and give you a date.”

The sports star previously revealed how his three children, Lorenz, 11, Tate, nine, and Tia, six, are putting him under pressure to get down on one knee and propose to the former reality star.

He even revealed that his kids are more hopeful that the pair will get married than have a baby together.

The 2008 UEFA Champions League winner told The Sun, “My little girl wants a replica dress and all this stuff. The kids talk about that a lot, ‘What role am I playing? Am I holding the ring? Who’s doing this?’ They have it planned.”

He went on to praise his stunning girlfriend for taking on the role of a stepmother to his children after the tragic loss of his wife Rebecca Ellison in 2015.

He added, “I’m proud of her – she’s done an amazing job.

“People in her position sometimes go unrecognised. She has dealt with it in a mature fashion, in a majestic sort of way.”

Rio’s admission comes after Kate hints that the pair would love to settle down in the future and have children together.

Kate appeared on This Morning week to reveal all about how her life has changed since she began dating Rio, expressing the importance of involving her stepchildren in each stage of their romance.

The ex-Towie star said, “It’s funny because at the beginning I couldn’t imagine the kids talking about it. Now they say, ‘When are you gonna give us a brother or sister?”